Tanning process



Tamimmaiica MODIFt- Ali er TEXTILES & HBERS, i

Patented Au 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH YOUNG, 0F CHRISTINE, TEXAS.

TANNING PROCESS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that HUGH YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing atChristine, in the county of Atascosa and State of Texas, has inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Tanning Processes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the process of treating leather, and moreparticularly to a process for tanning the same.

The principal object of the present invention resides in a process fortanning leather whereby the hides which are subjected to the treatmentwith the various .ingredients will enable a hide to be tanned andfinished in a minimum amount of time and in a manner which willefficiently provide for the removal of any loose flesh from the hide,leaving the same in a perfect condition for use. i

Another important object of the invention is to provide a tanningprocess whereby the leather treated will possess all of the essentialqualities such as strength, pliability,

'etc., thus producing a finished hide which will meet all of the teststo which it may be subjected.

My process may be briefly stated as follows The first step in theprocess consists of soaking the hide in soft Water until the samebecomes very pliable; secondly, the loose flesh on the hide is removedtherefrom. The third step consists in placing the hide into lime wateras follows :into a sufficient quantity of water to cover the hide, slacklime is added until a milky liquid is formed. The hide is left in thelime water for a period of from four to twenty-four hours, during whichtime the hide is aired for a period of approximately five minutes threeor four times a day. The purpose of allowing the hide to remain in thelime water for so long a time is to permit the hair 011 the hide to sliptherefrom.

The fourth step of my process resides in removing the hair from the hideafter the same has been taken out of the lime water and the next step isto again place the hide with the hair removed therefrom into areceptacle or tank containing clear or running water. This step is takenin order to remove the lime from the hide and it sometimes is necessaryfor this particular undertaking to require anywhere from twentyfour toforty-eight hours. It is to be under- Application filed November 6,1923. Serial No. 673,161.

stood that the water will be changed three or four times during thistime if the hide is not placed into a tank of running water but only ina tank containing still clear water.

However the time necessary it will take to remove all of the lime fromthe hide will not necessarily have to be two days for the reason thatthe hide may be examined for determining whether or not there is anylime left therein by pressing the hide and if a dent is left it may bereadily under stood that all of the lime has been removed.

The hide is now ready to be placed into a vat or tank containing thetanning mixture, the latter consisting of terra japonica and pulverizedalum in the proportions hereinafter designated. The tanning mixtureconsisting of the above mentioned chemicals is dissolved in hot Water.The hide is then dipped into the ooze formed by. the tanning mixture inthe hot water after the ooze has been cooled. The hide is aired three orfour times until colored.

After the hide has been left in the vat wherein is placed the tanningmixture for the desirable length of time, the same is removed and thehide side is then peltedthat is, the flesh of the animal left on thehide after skinning is removed. The grain side of the hide is thenslicked. The next step consists in oiling both sides with fish oil andallowing the treated hide to be dried in the shade.

In treating the hides with the tanning mixture, if the hide is dry, thesame may be soaked in salt water until perfectly soft. The pelt side ofthe hide is then covered with pulverized alum after which the hide isfolded up and laid away for a period of approximately two days orlonger, depending on the size and weight of the hide. The terra japonicaof'1 lbs. to 5 lbs. according to the size and thickness of the hide isthen dissolved in the water and the hide is placed in the ooze formedthereby and left therein from two to ten days.

For calf, sheep and all other hides about the same size, mix 1 lbs. ofterra japonica and lb. of powdered alum. The hide of this character isleft in the tanning mixture of the above proportions for a period offrom one to two days.

For one to two year old hides, 3 lbs. of terra japonica and 1 lb. ofpowdered alum is used and the hide in this instance is left to betreated in the mixture [or a period from three to five days.

For cow 0r ox hides, 5 to 8 lbs. of terra japonica and l to 2 lbs. ofpulverized alum accordingto the size and thickness of the hide are usedand the hide is left in the ooze from 5 to 12 days in this case.

It is sometimes desirable to color the hide and in the followingparagraph I have described the manner in which the leather will besubjected to various ingredients hereinafter more fully set forth,whereby a flesh color will be obtained.

To 1 quart of ooze, 2 tablespoonsful of lamp black and 1 tablespoonsfulof copperas is added, the ingredients are then placed in a rustic potwith old rusty iron placed therein and boiled. The hide is treated withthe above ingredients and whereupon a flesh color will be obtained.

The hide or stretch is worked out while damp. For 100 lbs. of greenhides or wet soaked flint hides the following amount of oil and talloware used :To 1 gallon of Water and dissolved therein is added one pintsulphonated oil, 3 lbs. of tallow, 1 lb. of parafline, and pintneatsfoot oil.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description that a tanningprocess for the treatment of leather has been provided which Willefficiently and easily permit the hides treated therewith to be tannedin a comparatively short while and furthermore obviate the necessity ofhaving to employ numerous chemicals and the necessity of a number ofsteps in the treatment thereof in order to obtain the desired results.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The process oftreating leather consisting in subjecting the hide to a tanning mixtureof terra a-ponica, pulverized alum and water.

2. The process of treating leather consisting in subjecting the hide toa tanning mixture composed of terra japonica 1 pounds, pulverized alumpound, and a quantity of water and leaving the hide therein for a numberof days, the hide being removed from the mixture for airing purposesfrom time to time.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

his HUGH YOUNG.

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